Hope
by Ada Adore
Summary: After her battle with Saddler, Ada Wong is knocked unconscious and thrown into a fantasy world of strange, troubling and intoxicating hope. Complete. Leon Ada
1. Chapter 1

**Hope **

_Disclaimer:_ Resident Evil, Leon Kennedy, Ada Wong and Osmund Saddler belong to Capcom. This is a non-profit fan fiction written purely for enjoyment. No copyright infringement intended.

_Author's note:_ This is the first of a five-part Leon/Ada fan fiction. The story will be updated over the course of this week. It's set after Ada's battle with Saddler in RE4's Separate Ways and is part fantasy, part romance with a bit of action thrown in. Dedicated to all Leon/Ada fans.

**Part One**

"_All our lives we search for someone who makes us complete. We choose partners and change partners. We dance the song of **heartbreak** and **hope** all the while, wondering if somewhere, somehow there is someone searching for us" _-Anonymous

She was a whirl of cherry red silk spinning backwards into the air and landing with panther-like grace on the metal catwalk below- one leg bent beneath her, the other extended out to her side and her fingers spread on the floor. That manoeuvre was now her reflex. She'd practiced it for years until the feel of her muscles, coiled like springs, became a visceral pleasure. One simple rule- when your opponent expands, you contract. Through the soft ebony curtain of her hair, Ada Wong watched with fascination as her opponent howled and tumbled to the deck; a pile of purple robes. She had narrowly missed the slashing tentacle he'd swung at her, since her reaction time had been a little sluggish and she now sported a throbbing bruise on her upper arm as a souvenir of her carelessness. Sweat gleaned across her top lip and she stood slowly whilst absently brushing away the moisture with her index finger.

It was easier than she'd imagined it would be. Perhaps Saddler was too used to letting his grunts do his dirty work. Raising her handgun parallel to her face she inspected what was left of their encounter. Saddler's eyes had a milky hue and were rolled back gently into his skull. A thick yellow slime seeped from the ribbons of wounds that her knife had tattooed onto his face and neck- the only parts of him visible under his ornate costume. His mouth hung open as if emitting a silent scream and that glowing, pulsating third eye of his was shrivelled like an old balloon. How different he looked without that perpetual grin.

Ada gave a soft smile as she swept her gaze over the carnage around her and rolled her slim shoulders to press out the aches and strains. The flames from the explosive barrels she'd ignited to block Saddler's path were almost out but sparks still licked at the walls around her, painting them with a mixture of golden embers and dancing shadows. The stasis chamber in the centre of the room was now a barren, twisted lump of metal peppered with frosted shards of glass. Countless steel platforms spiralled above her and were the source of low, fractured shrieks, as if they were creaking under an imaginary weight. Ada watched the platforms intently, her heart flapping against her ribcage like a struggling bird. What did she expect now? Krauser alive once again? A snarling Ganado? A chanting priest?

_Come on. I'm ready for whatever you throw at me._

She waited patiently for the shadows of a dozen enemies to descend and swamp her into another desperate fight for survival and for duty. But within seconds those sounds began to wither and fade. The echoes at the end of a battle. She was familiar with them. They were the ghosts of gunshots, footsteps, fists and growls that haunted the air as your heart and mind struggled to accept that the fight was really over. And suddenly the sounds were gone completely and the room lay still, empty and dead. Now all she could hear were her own footsteps snapping against the walkway as she circled Saddler's fallen form, her gun trained on him. Satisfied that he was no longer a threat Ada holstered her weapon and turned to take her prize. There it was. Glinting cheekily at the woman in red- a glass vial filled with a microscopic monster.

Ada's life as a spy had never required long-term planning beyond the next mission or the next paycheque. But that had been enough for her back then. The enthusiasm she had felt for the job had been like a tidal wave carrying her from one task to the next and demolishing everything else in its path. But that eagerness, that irrepressible simplicity of living, had been lost in a river of blood six years ago in Raccoon City whilst she had been on the trail of yet another glass vial. Since then the silence between gunshots had become lengthy and deafening, and the bright light at the end of every mission was becoming smaller and smaller as if recoiling from her outstretched fingertips. Ada had found several ways to numb the feeling of isolation but it had always returned, when the bottle was empty, like a persistent admirer lavishing upon her the gift of longing and emotion that she had always considered herself exempt from. But perhaps deep down her heart had simply saved up all that raw emotion to let it burst forth at the most impossible moments- a punishment in return for neglect. So now Ada felt that aching emptiness, heavy but hollow, stretching far beyond her ultimate objective- the objective she had been working on for the past half a dozen years- to gain The Organisation's trust. It was a means to an end; but to what end she didn't know or perhaps she was afraid to ask.

_As if this battle of light and darkness even has an end- this may not even be something I have to worry about._

That purple vial however was the key to opening the next door that would lead to the next obstacle. After this she had something else- or rather someone else- to take care of and then she could go to wherever 'home' was this month and begin the cycle all over again, this time working for a new boss.

_Perhaps I can have something a little different this time. A sunny desert island, sipping mai tais on the beach, the sand between my toes? A girl can dream can't she?_

Swivelling her hips, Ada walked towards the Las Plagas sample and bent to scoop it up into her hands.

'Thank you,' she breathed, 'This is going to be hard to explain at customs.'

She had only a split second to wonder whether it was the sudden chill of the air or some kind of instinct that had alerted her to movement and made the hairs on the back of her neck stiffen. But her intuition was quickly answered by the throaty chuckle of her adversary. Spinning around Ada gasped in revulsion as she saw Saddler's blood red tentacle slicing the air towards her. Instinctively, her hand snatched her gun out of its holster. Before she could dive from its path the tentacle seized her, wrapped around her waist and arms wrenching her upwards sharply until her feet were suspended several metres above the floor. She felt it pressing and squeezing on her as if testing its own strength or teasing her with possibilities. It shook her violently causing her handgun to slide out of her blood-drenched hand and onto the floor. Ada could barely breathe as the congealed and ancient stench of blood- the remains of Saddler's countless victims- filled the back of her nostrils and flooded the base of her brain like a poison. Feeling her chest compress under the pressure, Ada frantically struggled to reach her leg holster for her knife, her grapple gun- anything! Before her fingers could reach her weapons, Saddler brutally tossed her like a rag doll towards the opposite wall. Ada bit back a scream as the back of her skull smacked violently against a pile of wooden struts and she tumbled to the ground. Her limbs were like dead weights shuddering helplessly and anchoring her to the floor. Throbbing painfully, her head lolled on her neck as she struggled to breathe and to fight the unseen force that was tugging at her eyelids.

_Get up Ada! Please. You can't let him get the sample; it's your last chance._

Ada attempted to lift her head but the pain was unbearable and sent her vision spinning. Refusing to give up she tried a second time but the result was the same. In the distance all she could make out were silhouettes and colours waltzing slowly towards her- brown, orange, red and purple- shapeless and shifting masses. But in seconds the boundaries of her vision began to shrink and the colours began to split and bleed together till she could no longer bear to watch.

'Take her to the roof and wait for me there,' Saddler's snarling voice was the last thing she heard as she lost the battle with her own body and felt oblivion consume her.

---

They say that, in the minutes before you wake up, your senses are sometimes heightened and you become more aware of your surroundings than ever before. In short-when you wake up, you _really_ wake up. Ada had never believed in this before; she saved her faith for two cups of coffee in the morning. But now was different, as one by one her senses caressed her awake. At first she could feel a soft cocoon circling her bare skin, then she could smell pollen and fresh air from a breeze, next she could hear the muffled sound of soft footsteps padding quickly in the distance and she could faintly taste something bitter in the back of her throat. At last she opened her eyes so she could see.

_Where the hell am I?_

Ada bolted upright and was instantly sent into a dizzy spell. She pressed her fists to her temple and grimaced. The sunlight gleaming in through a nearby window left pounding explosions of light dotting her vision. Squinting through the gaps between her fingers she could see that she was on a king-sized bed under a thick, warm, blue quilt. The room was fairly large and held a mahogany dresser and vanity in the corner that was covered in various bottles. Light poured through the slits between the blinds covering the large bay window to her right and illuminated the soft, tiny particles of dust that hovered above her. The window must have been partway open as she could feel a soft draught against her bare shoulders. To her left was a tall wardrobe, also mahogany, and a print of Van Gogh's Irises hung beside it. She was in a bedroom and it sure as hell wasn't hers. So why was she in her underwear and snoozing on a pillow? Swinging her legs to the floor, Ada reached out and grabbed a white towelling robe from the small chair next to the bed and thrust her arms into its sleeves. Whoever had brought her here and undressed her was going to regret it.

But first she had to think logically. What's the last thing she remembered? Spain, Saddler, and Las Plagas…She had been attacked and probably fell unconscious as a result of her overconfidence. Was she still there? She doubted it. Somehow expressionist paintings and soft blue rugs didn't seem like Saddler's style. If not there, then where? Ada marched to the window and gently pushed the blinds aside. Beyond the window she saw several tall trees lining a narrow road that separated the building from what looked like a large lake encircled by hedges and gently rolling green hills in the distance. Timber decking fronted the building and led out to the road. The smell of pollen hung in the damp air and the sun was high casting a warm glow onto her face. It looked familiar. Like a memory she couldn't place. Perhaps she had been here before, or driven through it one day. Maybe it just reminded her of a filtered colour snapshot that she'd glanced at whilst reading a travel magazine in a busy airport lounge.

_How quaint. Well I'm not on that island anymore that's for sure. Wherever I am, and whatever this place is, I can't stick around- I have to get back._

'Hey,'

Ada span around, and felt her back press against the window frame. Her first instinct had been to dive for the vase beside the bed and throw it towards to the direction of the sound, but in an instant she knew who it was. It was the voice that always stayed her hand.

'Leon?' she gasped and edged slowly away from the window, 'What is this?'

Leon smiled and stepped further into the room from the doorway he had been standing in, 'I know…it's 10:40 and you hate to spend all morning in bed. But when you got back last night you were asleep before your head hit the pillow. And I know you like to play tough, but I also know how much those trips to the East coast tire you out, so no arguing. Please just humour me here.'

Ada was barely able to pay attention as he rambled on. For one thing she had no idea _what_ he was talking about and for another she was distracted by the large cup of coffee that he balanced in his right hand, which he gently deposited onto the chest of drawers beside the door. He was dressed in a pale blue T-shirt that accentuated his arms and shoulders, along with a pair of dark cargo pants. He was barefoot and his hair looked wet, not to mention shorter than she remembered. He looked good, tired but relaxed. That must mean they were definitely not still in Spain.

'I'm glad you're awake though…' he grinned and Ada felt her knees buckle just a little. It had been so long since he'd looked at her that way. Crossing the room in three large strides Leon slid his arms tightly around her waist and pressed his forehead against hers. He smelt like soap and shampoo rather than blood and sweat like the last time she'd been this close to him. Ada stiffened under his touch and was caught between her confusion and her rapidly increasing frustration. What puzzled her more than the actions themselves was the casual familiarity that radiated from his movements, taunting her and hypnotising her. From the leisurely drooping of his eyelids to the lazy circles his thumbs were drawing on either side of her waist that made her involuntarily wiggle her hips just that little bit closer to him- it was all delicious torture.

'I can't believe those bastards at Washington made you stay at that conference for five days instead of two. I missed you so much,' Leon leaned forward and pressed his mouth against hers in a soft and leisurely kiss, his teeth nipping gently at her bottom lip. He tasted like warm chocolate, deep and rich and sweet. Ada stifled a moan and took a fistful of his shirt pulling him closer and it wasn't until she heard him chuckle softly against her mouth that she pushed him away.

_Ada, control yourself for crying out loud!_

She pulled away from his embrace and shakily tightened the robe around her with as much dignity as she could muster, 'Where are we?'

'Home,' he replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world to say.

'This isn't a joke Leon. Where are we?'

Leon's boyish grin deepened, 'What? Ada, I don't understand.'

'_You_ don't understand?' Ada shot him a sardonic glance, 'I'm asking you how I got here…where's Saddler and Ashley? How did you get me off that island?'

His smile faded, 'Ada, are you okay?'

He began to step towards her but stopped when he saw her glare at him. He slowly ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath, 'Spain, Ashley, Saddler…honey that was eight years ago.'

Ada felt the blood rush from her face and pool into her heart dragging her downwards. She shook her head and slowly lowered herself to the foot of the bed. Eight years? That wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible. He was lying or this was a very poor excuse for a practical joke. She was about to reply when she turned slightly and caught sight of her reflection in the full-length mirror. Her hair- she hadn't previously noticed- but it was several inches longer than before and now its ends kissed her shoulders. She brushed her fingers against the silky strands and shot her gaze back to Leon. He gently approached the bed and knelt down beside her.

'Okay, you're really scaring me now,' he whispered as his deep blue eyes anxiously scanned her face. Ada frowned as she noticed that the scar from his fight with Krauser had healed leaving nothing but a faint silver gash on his cheek. She absently brushed the pads of her fingertips against it and Leon reached up to take both of her hands in his. It was then that she felt her heart plummet to collide violently with her stomach. Not because of his actions, but because of what she saw on their entwined fingers. Matching gold rings. She snatched her hand away as if he had burned her.

_Oh my God._

---

Thanks for reading. The next update should be up tomorrow. Reviews, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome.

A special thank you to the wonderful and talented **Squall** (aka Donatien Valiarde) for beta reading this fic.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hope **

_Disclaimer:_ Resident Evil and all characters in this fan fiction belong to Capcom. Except Mei Li Kennedy- she belongs to Leon and Ada.

_Author's note:_ Big kisses and thanks to all those that reviewed the last chapter!! I'm most grateful you're along for the ride.

**Part Two**

_Leon reached up to take both of her hands in his. It was then that she felt her heart plummet to collide violently with her stomach. Not because of his actions, but because of what she saw on their entwined fingers. Matching gold rings. She snatched her hand away as if he had burned her._

_Oh my God._

A delicate giggle from the doorway caught Ada's attention and temporarily banished her first instinct, which had been to run like hell.

'You're awake!'

A tiny bundle of energy in the shape of a small girl dashed into the bedroom. She had long black hair tied loosely into two ponytails, wore pale yellow pyjamas and clutched a large piece of paper in her tiny hands. She couldn't have been more than four years old. Ada watched in a daze as the girl scrambled onto the bed beside her. Without thinking, she reached over to pull the young girl onto the mattress and felt the child's fingers clutching gently at her arm.

'Mommy I'm glad you're back,' the girl smiled broadly and Ada noticed she was missing one of her bottom teeth. And the child's smile…it was just like Leon's. Eerily so in fact- wide, bright and disarming, 'I made you this picture.'

Ada, in a stunned silence, accepted the piece of paper with trembling hands. On it were several brightly coloured splashes of paint resembling a tall shed beside a turquoise puddle with a group of slim figures lined up beside it. With confident authority, and talking far too noisily, the girl pointed a chubby finger at each one in turn.

'That's our house and that's daddy, me and you.'

A strange and desperate impulse to laugh overtook Ada, but all she could do was stare at Leon and then at the girl, which only heightened her awareness of their physical resemblance. That wasn't helping matters at all.

The little girl gazed up at her expectantly as Ada struggled to think of a response. A strange compulsion to appease this little girl filled her mind but she had no idea what she should do.

'Mei Li, mommy's just woken up. She's still very tired from her trip,' Leon phrased his sentence carefully as he reached for the child.

'Mei Li'? That was her name? For some reason she had yet to understand, Ada couldn't imagine this little girl being called anything else. 'Mei Li' was a Chinese name, meaning 'beautiful'.

'It's…it's okay Leon,' Ada gave the girl a shaky smile and pulled her closer. Somehow it felt like the right thing to do. And with only instincts to guide her, Ada decided to let herself learn the rules before attempting to play this game, 'That's… very good sweetheart.'

Mei Li smiled triumphantly and pressed herself into Ada's stomach for a clumsy hug. Ada slowly rubbed circles across the girl's back and took a deep, steadying breath. She had never been great with children. She had been an only child and then an only adult all her life. Children were what _other people_ had. Starring down at the bundle in her arms, she was caught be an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. Suddenly the girl snuck under and out of Ada's arms and began climbing over the bed, feeling the softness of the quilt and marvelling at its size. She had the universal and irrepressible curiosity a child feels in her parent's bedroom, when everything seems so big and smells so different.

_I… We have a daughter and I couldn't even remember her name. This can't be real. This is insane. I'm either dreaming or this is some kind of hoax. If Wesker's behind this I'll personally put a bullet into his head. It wouldn't be enough to kill him but it'd hurt and I'd get to do it over and over again. But why do this? He's a sick son of a bitch but even this is a little too dramatic by his standards._

Leon rose and sat beside her, 'Ada?'

She turned to him with her best poker face intact, 'I'm fine. Honestly, I'm fine.'

He averted his eyes for a moment and she could tell that he didn't believe her, but he sure wanted to, 'You'd tell me if anything was…bothering you, right?' he whispered.

She nodded and turned back to the girl bouncing gently on the mattress behind her. Leon stood and held his hand out to the little girl, 'Come on Peanut, time to let mommy get dressed.'

Mei Li quickly complied, but Ada detected a slight pout on her pink lips as she waddled over and grasped her father's hand. Leon leaned over and kissed Ada's cheek, his slight stubble grazing her chin. She didn't react. As he slowly walked Mei Li out of the bedroom he shot Ada a worried glance over his shoulder.

Once the door had closed behind them Ada shot up from the bed and made a beeline for the wardrobe. Swinging the doors open she systematically inspected every item of clothing and every shoe. They were all her size and more to the point they were the kind of clothes she'd buy- red summer dresses, deep blue jeans, black pencil skirts, soft, form-fitting sweaters and silky elegant blouses. Undeterred, Ada crossed the room inspecting every ornament and every piece of furniture for a hidden camera or microphone- anything that could explain all this. But she came up empty. She reached the vanity and slid her hands over the array of perfumes, creams and colognes. As she was about to begin her second sweep of the room, her fingers paused abruptly over a stylish silver frame that took pride of place on the centre of the vanity. She must have been too disorientated to notice it before. The frame held a large colour snapshot of Leon and her. He wore a dashing black suit and bow tie, while she sported a strapless white gown. The two of them were beside each other in an embrace, his forehead was pressed against hers and she was smiling, perhaps laughing at something he'd said. Ada fought to remember what he had told her at that moment in time, but to both her frustration and relief she couldn't remember a thing. All she could see were a pair of passionate newly weds who weren't even aware their photograph was being taken.

'Handsome isn't he? I must say I'm relieved you have developed better taste in men than your mother ever had.'

Ada dropped the frame and heard it clatter on the vanity. She had always hated being crept up on. But after the day she'd had it was fast becoming a serious nuisance. Ada looked up at the polished glass in front of her and caught sight of a pale reflection in the distance that made a mockery of every second of the past ten minutes. A tall and imposing Chinese woman in her early sixties stood with an expression on her face that was a mixture of amusement and impatience. The lines around her eyes crinkled like tinfoil and she wore a white high-necked blouse with dark green flowers embroidered onto its long sleeves. Her hands were clasped behind her back and her gaze smouldered at Ada as their eyes connected on the mirrored surface.

'Aren't you going to give your grandmother a hug?' the old woman asked.

Ada turned to face her and pursed her lips together, 'You don't do hugs.'

'Well you never asked for one. I'm not psychic you know,' the woman condescendingly replied.

'But you look pretty good for someone who died 25 years ago.'

The woman laughed sharply, 'It seems death, for some of the women in our family, is simply a minor inconvenience rather than anything binding.'

Ada gave her a fierce glare, 'That's it. I've had enough of this. Tell me what this is all about. Now!'

The old woman tutted to herself, 'Even as a child you always found it very easy to give out orders.'

'Am I dead? Are you real or am I dreaming?' Ada demanded.

'You're perfectly alive little one. As for real or dreaming, well…it's a little of both. You've always carried a bit of me inside you anyway so perhaps this is just a dream.'

'So if this is a dream, are you here to guide me? I'd have preferred some kind of spirit animal- a python would have been easier to handle. Considering the day I'm having the Mad Hatter and the March Hare wouldn't be too out of place either.'

'I'd take offence at that if I wasn't so proud that you've taken after me rather than that father of yours.'

Ada turned away and stalked to the wardrobe hastily snatching out a pair of shorts, 'Why do I expect any help from you? You were never any help when you were alive.'

'Fine. I'm sorry Ada,' the woman sighed but the tone of her voice stayed as hard as ever. Ada paused for a moment but then continued to riffle through the wardrobe for a matching blouse. The woman continued regardless, 'This is… it's a vision, you're right. You have some things you need to sort out inside.'

'No. I have a mission outside to take care of. One that my life and so much else depends on. If this is just some kind of dream, then send me back.'

'I'm sorry I can't do that.'

Ada gripped the clothes tighter till her knuckles turned white, 'Is this my future? How real is all this?'

'As real as you want it to be.'

'Alright, now that's getting irritating.'

The woman paced slowly around the bed, her small grey eyes locked on Ada's face, 'What is this mission really about Ada? Is it about the virus, Umbrella, Wesker, "The Organisation"? Or is this just about you? What are you really fighting for? You brought yourself here and you brought me here. This is your party, Little One; I'm just your guest.'

Ada turned away, slowly closed the wardrobe doors and pressed her head against the cool surface of the wood. A hundred possibilities charged through her mind. Perhaps she was dreaming or drugged or going insane. Perhaps all three. But one thing was for sure, she didn't feel in any immediate physical danger and that was a small blessing at least. Either way she couldn't afford to stay here.

'I'll leave you to figure this out on your own, Little One,'

'Stop calling me that,' Ada murmured.

'I used to call your mother that, and she in turn used to call you that when you were a baby.'

'Another family tradition that died with her,' she glanced over her shoulder to ram her statement home with a cool glare but found the room empty. The woman…her grandmother was gone.

'Curiouser and curiouser' I suppose.

Ada wasted no time throwing off the white robe and darting into the ensuite bathroom she had spotted during her hasty ransacking of the room. It was clean- well if this was supposed to be her house that wasn't too surprising. The room was simply decorated with small purple tiles subtly accenting the crisp white walls. Every item in the cabinet- shampoo, cologne, razors- illustrated that this was a place for adults. The shower was fairly tiny but big enough for two. Nipping that thought in the bud before it developed any further, Ada slipped under the hot spray of the shower and slowly ran her hands over her hair attempting to get used to its new, unfamiliar length. This was unlike any other dream she'd ever had. It felt so real, so sensual. It was as if her awareness had been jolted to life and she could hear every drop of water colliding with her bare skin. The downy texture of the bathmat made her stop to curl her toes into it and the sharp fragrance of moisturiser tempted her to inhale it deeply. Ada pulled on the pair of denim shorts she'd scavenged and a deep red blouse before grabbing the coffee Leon had left for her on the dresser and taking a long breathless sip. In that single, sweeping motion she spotted the ring on her left hand once again. She placed the empty mug down and moved to rip the ring from her finger but paused before her hand even made contact with the cool metal band. Taking it off would only cause Leon to ask questions, and that wouldn't do. She had questions of her own after all. Ada took a split second to compose herself and slid quietly out of the bedroom.

Walking on the balls of her feet to reduce noise, she wandered from room to room in an effort to make sense of all this. Her career had lead to her infiltrating so many different buildings, some public, and some private. She remembered the 'first time' she had visited Jon's home and the fact that she had felt very little guilt over the cameras and microphones she knew were already hidden in every room. She had surreptitiously installed them the previous evening when he had been out of town. It had been her job, so it wasn't a personal concern for her.

Jon's apartment had been one of many temporary bases containing just enough suits and just enough ties to last the month- 30 days, no more, no less. All other signs of life included a solitary jar of mayonnaise in the fridge and an out of date TV guide by a television that had never worked. How can you think about consequences in a place locked into an eternal stasis?

But this house on the other hand was a lot harder to rationalise. It was a beautiful home. Fairly tidy though anyone would be able to spot the presence of a child in the house due to a tiny pair of shoes, or a well-worn doll scattered in intervals throughout almost every room. On desktops and walls hung framed pictures of a life she couldn't remember and was sure didn't really exist despite the overwhelming evidence. Leon pressing a kiss to her lips as she sat on his lap, a baby girl fidgeting under a pink blanket, the three of them blowing out the candles at a third birthday party, Mei Li wearing several layers of clothing giggling up at the camera whilst standing proudly in the snow. The eyes in every picture seemed to inspect her with blatant authority. They practically glowed with laughter and emotion, a dynamic force bouncing from frame to frame. Ada felt like an intruder into someone else's life. But despite this, she couldn't prevent tiny smiles pulling at her lips whenever she caught another glimpse of that little girl's developments. She was cute.

_Remember you need to find a way out of here. This isn't real Ada. She isn't real either._

Ada shook her head and began to descend the stairs. Laughter was the first thing she heard as she entered the kitchen- Leon's husky chuckle and the girl's delighted squeals.

'Daddy! Please one more,' Mei Li stood on a tall steel chair at the table with Leon standing protectively behind her. He reached over to the oven where a pan of batter was frying. Lifting the pan carefully he brought it over for his daughter to see.

'Okay, just one more sweetie,' Leon replied, 'Don't touch it though. It's hot.'

'I'll be careful. Promise.'

With a quick flick of his wrist, Leon flipped the pancake about a three feet into the air. It span once, twice and then fell like a lead weight onto the table. Mei was definitely amused as she watched her father curse under his breath and scoop it off the tabletop and back into the pan.

'Need a little help?' Ada stepped into the kitchen hugging the coffee mug to her chest.

Leon put the pan back and dusted his hands off on the front of his pants, 'Ahh. We'll clean this up eventually. Our little girl just wanted to know how to make pancakes.'

'And now I guess she does,' Ada replied nodding her head towards the little girl with a face covered in streaks of batter. The entire kitchen looked like a war zone. In fact, Ada had probably left war zones in better condition than this. Flour lined the work surfaces and table. Several saucepans filled the sink and various packets of batter mix lay abandoned, spilling half of their contents onto the counter.

Leon smiled tightly and turned off the oven. When Ada walked towards the table he quickly reached out to take her empty coffee mug and, without making eye contact, placed it into the sink. Ada was an expert at it was reading people, and Leon was so very easy to read. He never could handle rejection very well. Of the emotional kind anyway. She recognised that look in his eyes- when they'd darken to a deep shade of midnight and she could see disappointment, hurt and confusion swimming in their depths. Ada had seen it in Raccoon City when she had confronted him on that walkway in Burkin's laboratory. Then once again at the castle when he'd asked her why she was working for Wesker. She'd made a show of tossing her head dispassionately and averting her eyes because she hadn't been able to bear seeing him like that again. She hadn't had the time…she hadn't had the strength to drown in that look again. Stepping closer to him she could see dark rings around his stormy blue eyes and the stubble on his chin looked a day or so old.

Leon nodded in the vague direction of the kitchen counter, 'There are some pancakes left if you're hungry. They're a little…malformed but they taste great.'

'No. Thanks,' she shook her head.

'Are you alright?' he glimpsed at her as he busied himself with the clean up.

Ada briefly considered telling him the truth. That she had no idea how she'd got here, she couldn't remember the last eight years that this house was a shrine to and that she had no choice but to leave as soon as possible. However, as she opened her mouth she realised that she just couldn't find the words. It seemed wrong somehow. He was just a man worried about his wife; he was missing her. There was an entire world buzzing around her and a foreign part of yearned to understand it. Watching Leon interact with that little girl had made her smile despite herself. It was as if she was watching those photos come to life and at last, for a moment, she had felt like a part of them. And if she left now, where would she go anyway?

'I…had a bad dream. About Spain,' Ada replied, 'I'm sorry I scared you. When I woke up I was disorientated and still exhausted I guess.'

Well it wasn't a complete lie. And Leon seemed to buy it. Nightmares were a way of life for people like them.

_Some things never changed._

'Do you want to talk about it?' he asked.

'No.'

Oblivious to the tension between her parents Mei Li smiled and hopped off the chair, 'Mommy?'

Ada felt her pulse bounce in her throat. She wondered if she could ever get used to hearing that from anyone. Or if she'd ever have to. Mei Li raised her arms up to her and Ada frowned in confusion. The girl tugged gently at Ada's fingers.

'Mei Li, you know Mommy's tired. She can't pick you up right now,' Leon told her. His voice was calm and firm, but out of the corner of her eye she saw him rub his face wearily.

Ada reached over to him and brushed off the flour and batter he had inadvertently rubbed onto his cheek. She shuddered slightly at the tactile sensation of her fingertips against his coarse chin, 'Perhaps I'm not the only one who's tired Leon. You _have_ been taking care of a child on your own for the past five days.'

Not waiting for a reply, Ada bent down to meet Mei Li at eye level, 'Do you want me to pick you up? What do you say?'

'Please!' Mei Li gave her a toothy grin.

Gingerly, Ada gathered the girl into her arms and slowly rose. She was heavier than she looked. Mei Li pressed a hand to Ada's hair undoubtedly covering it with batter and crumbs.

'Soft,' she whispered pressing her face to Ada's shoulder. She smelled like sunshine.

'Thank you,' Ada whispered back.

She looked up at Leon, 'I'll just…take her to get cleaned up and dressed if you like. Just take a moment will you? You look like hell, Kennedy.'

Leon chuckled and threw his hands up in defeat, 'Sure.'

Perhaps she'd stay for a few hours to help out. It seemed that this was where she was needed right now at any rate. Ada turned away and carried Mei Li up the stairs.

---

Reviews and comments are encouraged, accepted and loved. : )

Thanks again to Squall for beta reading. The next chapter should be up tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope **

_Disclaimer:_ Resident Evil and its characters belong to Capcom. Leon is only mine in my dreams…

_Author's note:_ Hugs and cyber chocolate to those who reviewed the last chapters.

Quick note: anyone interested in the Leon/Ada 'ship- should check out the forum 'The Another Order' and the C2 'Love's Rebirth' on this site. Plenty of lovely Leon and Ada discussion and stories to get your hands on.

**Part Three**

_Never __**deprive**__ someone of __**hope**__; it might be all they have._ - Anonymous

Although her memories of the time are quite vivid, there was no moment during her first year as an agent that was more brilliantly lucid than the operation in Berlin. She had diffused a detonation device attached to over a hundred pounds of C4. It had taken six minutes with every second devoted to inspecting and teasing apart several wires, connecting cables, circuit panels and a myriad of screws. That was the kind of patience Ada was used to providing. But the threads of that patience were fraying at the ends as she tried to persuade Mei Li to keep still. It was a pretty bad idea to turn your back on Mei Li; you never knew where she'd wander off to next. Though Ada found that this wasn't too surprising considering this child was meant to be her own progeny. Every tactic Ada could use to control an adult were rather…inappropriate to use against a child, so she had had to improvise. Ada was never one to turn down a challenge. After having to coax Mei Li from the her curious inspection of the bath salts around half a dozen times, Ada found that keeping the child focused on the task in hand, rather than simply doing it all for her, made things go a lot more smoothly. Mei Li for her part seemed quite content rambling over the events of the past week.

'Mommy, what did you do in Washington?'

Hell if I know.

'Just boring adult things,' Ada reached over the sink and turned off the water.

'Oh. Why were you gone so long?'

'I had things to do…'

'What things?'

Ada sighed and dipped the washcloth into the soapy water, 'Just things.'

'Will you go back again soon?' Mei Li continued with tenacious curiosity, 'Mommy!'

'Please!' Ada yelled as she pulled away and left the stunned child by the sink.

This was a bad idea. She had taken the child to give Leon a break, but it was only when they had reached the top of the stairs that Ada had realised that she didn't know what to do with her. She had no idea _why_ she was doing this or even really _how_ to do this. No matter how many times she had tried to convince herself that this little girl didn't exist, she'd look closely at her and feel overcome with helplessness and fear.

Ada's mother had practically been a child herself when she had become a parent. Neither of them had had the capacity to take care of the other, so they had had to look elsewhere. Ada had looked inside herself and her mother had looked anywhere but. They had wandered from home to home every time the landlord changed the locks and the succession of abusive boyfriends had been her mother's anaesthesia. Ada had dwelled in the shadows like a spectator and they had left her alone. Most of the time. Her mother had been her model of how to (or rather how _not_ to) change identities. Today she was a waitress, yesterday a singer, last week a dancer, last month sober, tomorrow sorry and the next day she'd start all over again. She had never worn the costume; she had let the costume wear her. But Ada had never resented her or desired an apology. It was a simple fact that some people were cut out for a normal life and others were not.

Then why did she feel so guilty? Why did she feel she owed this girl…this hallucination an apology?

Taking the washcloth from Mei Li's hands, Ada wiped the last of the stains from her face and gave her a soft smile, 'There we go. All pretty again.'

She stood and held out her hand, 'I'm sorry to yell. I'm just a little tired.'

Mei Li stayed perfectly still and gazed up at her with a confused and distressed frown. Ada prayed the girl wasn't as stubborn as she was, 'Come on…sweetie.'

The girl gave a shrug and let Ada lead her to her bedroom. Mei Li's room was yellow and bright. Sunlight painted the walls and draped its rays across her bed. Several crude drawings lined the walls with her name printed in bold, black ink in their corners. Toys were stacked in haphazard rows and broken crayons lay discarded on a tiny drawing table. It was an idyllic children's room. As a child Ada had spent most of her time out of the house rather than in. A bedroom had just been for sleeping in and it wasn't until after her mother had died that she had known any better. Home hadn't been…the most comfortable of places.

Mei Li's velvety giggle drew Ada from her reverie. She was standing by her bed and reaching under her pillow, presumably now over her bout of silent sulking.

'Mommy, did you see? I lost my first tooth,' she pointed keenly at the gap in her mouth.

'Yes, I saw,' Ada walked slowly over to her and knelt to look at the tiny white chunk in the girl's hand.

'Daddy made me put it under my pillow. He says I'll get a present from the tooth fairy.'

Biting back a smirk, Ada nodded, 'Of course.'

Mei Li frowned, 'But Mommy, I don't think there is a tooth fairy. I think it's just a story he tells.'

'Have you told your father that you think this?'

'No,' Mei leaned close to Ada's face and whispered conspiratorially, 'I think daddy wants to be the tooth fairy. I don't want to make him sad. And I want my present.'

Ada laughed, the light sound that filled the room was almost alien to her. She hadn't laughed like this in a long time. Shaking her head, she took the tooth from Mei's hand and slid it back under the pillow, 'Well we wouldn't want to make daddy sad. We'll keep this between us.'

Mei Li grinned, 'Daddy promised to take me to see the fireworks at the pier tomorrow!'

Ada pretended to know what she was talking about and simply nodded at every question she asked. After helping Mei Li into a yellow dress and soft black shoes, Ada ran a soft brush through the girl's hair a few times before gently tying it into two neat pigtails.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the door open gently and turned to find Leon in the doorway. He was dressed in a sweater and had shaved, making him look decidedly more focused than before.

'Is she ready?' he asked.

Ada straightened and folded her arms across her chest, 'All done.'

'Good. I'm taking Mei to Joan and Mike's house for a play date, just for an hour or so. I thought you…we could use some time alone. Is that all right?'

'Yes. Fine. Look, I think I'm more tired than I realised. I'll stay here,' Ada replied.

'Can I take Marie with me?' Mei Li asked holding aloft a big, pale coloured teddy bear with a blue ribbon around its neck.

'Sure Peanut,' Leon smiled down at her, 'Can you go downstairs and put on your jacket? Mommy and I will be down in a minute.'

The girl nodded and tottered out of the room.

When he was sure she was out of earshot Leon ran his fingers thorough his hair and sat gently on the bed. His size and sheer masculinity stood in stark contrast to the delicate little bed. It would have made Ada laugh if it wasn't for the air of tension surrounding him. His eyes were rooted to the floor as if he expecting some grand solution to sprout from the carpet.

'Ada, I tried to let this go but I'm still concerned. Are you sure you're feeling well?' seeing her roll her eyes he continued a little more forcefully, 'I'm serious.'

'Just drop it Leon, please.'

'Drop what?' he pleaded, 'Something must have happened back east. One minute you're fine and the next you're pushing me away or staring at Mei like she's some kind of monster.'

Ada averted her eyes and caught sight of the shimmering ring on her left hand. A surge of anger and frustration unfurled like a fist in her stomach.

What is it with you? You always have to play the Good Samaritan.

'Maybe I'm not okay. Maybe I am feeling unwell,' she replied darkly, 'Do you think this is easy for me? I don't know if I can do this.'

'I don't understand. What do you mean?'

'What does it matter anyway?'

'It matters to me!'

'Keep your voice down,' she snapped.

He rose suddenly, his eyes furiously dark, 'Fine. Just don't play the martyr and pretend I didn't ask.'

He left and Ada swallowed the obscene reply that was forming in her throat. She slammed her fist into the wall behind her, 'Damn it!'

As she leaned against the window frame in Mei's room, her arms tightly crossed in front of her, Ada closed her eyes and began to try to think of a way out of this mess. This was obviously a mistake. She'd tried to cooperate with this flight of fancy but it turned out to be a game that was out of her league. She had a real fight she had to contend with back in the real world. _That_ was her concern. Not this.

Well, 'game over' it is.

She was relieved that Leon and Mei Li were gone by the time she came downstairs. Ada had changed into a pair of loose pants and a jacket before scavenging the kitchen, den and dining room for anything that might facilitate an escape.

'Ah!' Ada grinned when she found a set of car keys on the coffee table in the den. Scooping them into her pocket she was about to leave when she spotted a small gold frame on the bookshelf by the wall. It held an old and slightly torn picture. On closer inspection Ada realised it didn't belong to the collection she had seen upstairs.

'I don't believe it,' she whispered and gaped at the image.

It was of her. She was aged about seven or eight and standing on a pier by some water with her mother at her side. Snatching the frame Ada ran to the window and held it up. No wonder the view had looked familiar! She had been here as a child. In fact, she still had this photograph at the bottom of a box back home. Ada had been amazed at how easy it had been to remove all semblances of her past from her apartment in Chicago after Raccoon City. The last thing to go had been that photograph of Jon and her that had somehow survived the disaster. In that snapshot her smile had been large but had stopped at her eyes leaving their expression blank. That Ada Wong, like so many of her other personas, was nothing but ashes now. Since then she had continued to live her life by instinct, becoming who she needed to be moment by moment. But in a life like that your future seems so shapeless and elusive. Chasing it soon becomes exhausting. Perhaps you could only reinvent yourself so many times.

But this picture of her at the lake, the one she held in her shaking hands, had somehow survived the fire. It was of a happier time, a short window of hope, six months before Ada's mother had died.

Putting the picture back in its place Ada found her attention captured again, this time by a thick book on the shelf. It was leather bound and seemed ancient compared to the shiny paperbacks that surrounded it. She pulled it out and began to slowly leaf through its yellowing pages. It was an early edition of Doctor Zhivago, her favorite novel. The first page had an inscription in neat copperplate handwriting. It read: 'To Ada on our first anniversary. My heart and soul always. Leon.'

She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath whilst returning the book to its space.

Why does this have to feel so real? The more I see, the more I remember what I don't really have and what I shouldn't want in the first place.

'Leaving so soon?'

Ada looked up to see her grandmother idly lounging in an overstuffed armchair at the other end of the room. She wore a lavender suit with a gold broach and had her long wisps of grey hair stacked neatly in curls atop her head.

'Nice outfit.'

'I'm really not prepared to accept sarcasm from a woman who travels to a muddy Spanish village in a red cocktail dress and high-heels.'

Ada raised an eyebrow, 'Point taken. Why are you here? Trying to keep me from leaving perhaps?'

'I can't do that. I told you,' her grandmother waved a hand to encompass the entire room, 'This is your party.'

'Party's over,' she replied, 'I'm not about to fall for emotional manipulation.'

The woman's eyes widened causing her blue eye shadow to rise inches on her brow, 'You think _I_ put those things there? It was _you_.'

Ada paused to consider this. No one except her and her mother had been aware of that trip to the lake or the photograph. At least as far as she knew.

'Your mother brought you here didn't she? Before she…did what she did.'

'You mean before she killed herself?' Ada rolled her eyes, 'I'm not eight anymore. You don't have to coddle me.'

'It was always hard to talk about it,' her grandmother continued, 'You were the one that found her body, yet I couldn't bear the thought of anyone causing you to live through it again.'

Ada turned away and paced the carpet in deliberate, methodical steps, trying to tread the memories into the ground. Memories of razorblades and blood on dove white porcelain.

'How kind. Though the support would have been more useful when your daughter and grandchild were practically destitute. Or were you just afraid your high-status friends would find out that your only child was a teenage mother with a drug habit?'

The woman showed no reaction. She simply left her seat and walked along side Ada. Her perfume coiled through the air. It was jasmine, just as it had been everyday during their short time together. Her maternal grandmother had taken her in after the incident, but their relationship had been a strained one. She had always been too busy at the laboratory to pay her granddaughter much direct attention, though Ada had never experienced any unkindness from her. Perhaps shame and guilt had caused them both to tiptoe around each other for those three years.

'You're lost and afraid Ada. But you're like me and you're like your mother. You won't admit it. You've lost hope, you have no idea what you're going to do when you face Wesker and that fear is paralysing you slowly.'

'I know what my mission is.'

'Then why did you decide to help Leon _here_?' the woman interjected, 'Why take care of that little girl?'

'You're right. This isn't my problem, it isn't even real,' she replied.

'But you did it anyway. It just felt right didn't it? Being with them? Protecting him, just like you did in Raccoon City and in Spain?'

'Protecting him is easy.'

'And loving him isn't?'

'No. It isn't!' Ada stopped and turned to face her, fury spitting from her lips, 'Is this what you think I want? Paisley curtains and a house by a lake? This isn't self-pity. It's just a simple fact I learned a very long time ago. It doesn't matter what I feel, lives like this aren't meant for people like me!'

'Maybe. Maybe not. If you knew what you really wanted you wouldn't be going through all this in the first place. You'd be dreaming about chocolate or AK-47s or whatever it is you're into now. Perhaps you don't need all this- this house, or even the peace and quiet. Maybe you just need him and he needs you.'

'That's a lot of maybes.'

'Well cold, hard facts can't keep you warm at night.'

'Then I'll buy a couple of extra blankets.'

The woman laughed and shook her silver curls, 'I have missed you, Little One.'

Ada was about to reply when she heard a car pull up outside the house, 'Damn it.'

She peaked out of the window and saw Leon in the driveway. He was pulling several grocery bags out of the trunk of the car. Balancing them precariously on one arm, he stopped to talk to a passer-by who obviously knew him. It was hard to remember that he wasn't real when every movement, the tone of his voice and the feel of his skin was everything she remembered. Under Wesker's orders, Ada had kept Leon under observation intermittently after Raccoon City. But now she was watching him laugh and relax up-close rather than through the lens of a camera. It was the potent performance of a fantasy.

'You put on a brave face Ada,' her grandmother's voice pierced the air, 'and you follow your mission objectives to the letter- it makes you feel strong, just like your mother's addiction did for her and my work did for me. The mission is something you can control and it helps distract you from the emptiness.'

'I'm sick of your platitudes,' Ada replied, 'They don't negate the fact that if this is a dream, then _that_ isn't really Leon.'

'You know, your great grandmother used to tell me that when you meet someone special you will continue to carry a piece of them inside you. That man out there is as real as you are in a way. He's the piece of Leon that you've been carrying around for the past six years. Come on. How long have you wished for time like this? And you're wasting it with rhetoric and the ghost of an old woman.'

Ada turned from the window and once again found that the woman was gone, leaving only the scent of jasmine lingering in the air. She heard the front door open and heavy footsteps travel along the hall in the direction of the kitchen. Almost automatically, her mind sketched out the lines of an escape route across her conscious. Leon didn't know for sure that she was still in the house. She could leave and he wouldn't be able to stop her. Ada gripped the car keys in her hand so that the cool metal left a jagged imprint on her palm. Across the hall she heard the rustling of bags and the sound of Leon opening and closing cupboards.

He won't be able to hear you. Go. Now.

She stuffed the keys roughly into her jacket pocket and strode out of the room. But with each step she felt as though air was being pounded out of her lungs. Her hands were quivering so much that she had to ball them into fists to keep them still.

_Come on! You've done this a hundred times before._

Perhaps that was the problem. She had never had anything worth sticking around for in the past. And though this was a dream, there was one thing that felt so real that it crippled her- Leon. The more time she spent here, the more time she felt the costume slipping away. This place was like a concentrated burst of him- fierce, loyal, loving, and affectionate.

Her footsteps slowed till she stopped by the kitchen door. Leon had his back to her as he unpacked various items onto the table. Leaning against the doorframe in silence she watched him stretch and saw the muscles of his wide shoulders tighten. She smiled. He was so beautiful. Lately, nothing was even half as simple as it should have been. When Leon had kissed her in the bedroom earlier she had felt her heart swell and tear. Even enjoying a modicum of physical intimacy with a man that didn't exist outside of her mind held its complications. Whatever she was experiencing it felt excruciatingly real, from the pleasure to the pain. But she knew it wasn't real and she knew it was going to end. So every smile, every kiss and every emotion was tainted with hopelessness. But one thing was for sure; she'd never forgive herself for letting this opportunity go. No matter the end, no matter the pain, here and now he was hers.

Ada was standing behind him before she had even been aware she'd moved from the door. Slipping her hands around his waist she grinned as she felt him jump in surprise.

'You're getting a little sloppy Agent Kennedy,' she murmured against his shoulder blades. She gently tapped her fingers along the plane of his stomach and relished the feel of him shivering under her hands.

'I find it's best not to be on combat mode when I'm at home,' he replied and turned in her arms.

His expression was carefully composed as he eyed her change of clothes.

'Are you going out?'

Ada let her hands fall limply from his waist, 'No.'

Leon nodded but didn't move. His body was barely an inch from hers and the air between them was so charged that she could almost feel the pulsing of his heartbeat against her chest. It may have been minutes or mere seconds that they stood in silence just staring at each other, willing the other to talk.

'When will Mei Li be home?' she started on neutral ground.

'Joan will give her a ride home in a few hours. Her kids really love playing with Mei. In fact so does her dog. I'm counting down the days till Mei asks for one for her next birthday.'

'Maybe you could use the time to get some rest.'

Leon shrugged and shot her a half grin, 'Sleep deprivation is the norm for both of us. Four years after Wesker's death and we're still cleaning up his mess. Maybe I can ask the President to give us a little break every now and then.'

Ada smiled back, letting her gaze sweep indulgently over his face, 'So you really did miss me.'

He pursed his lips and brought his hand up to touch her hair with slow and methodical strokes, 'I had dreams about you while you were gone.'

'Oh yeah?' she asked breathlessly.

'Hell yeah,' he leaned towards her and let his breath caress her neck as he punctuated his words with chaste kisses along her collar bone, 'Have you ever had a dream that felt so completely real? I swear that when I woke up I could still taste you. Maybe my subconscious was just compensating me till you were able to come home.'

Ada leaned forward and nuzzled his shoulder to hide the blush on her cheeks. She slipped her hands under his sweater and felt his skin. Leon lifted his head and she saw longing and regret battling each other in his expression.

He sighed and straightened, leaving one hand on her cheek and the other tentatively brushing her hip, 'I'm sorry for what I said earlier.'

Not knowing how to respond, Ada simply closed her eyes against a sudden and uncomfortable onslaught of tears.

'When I get too overprotective, well…I can behave like a jackass sometimes and…'

'Hush Leon,' she opened her eyes and briefly pressed her fingertips to his mouth, 'No more talking.'

He nodded. It amazed her how he sometimes seemed to understand her, to know who she was beneath the mask. It frightened her a little. They had never been very good with words, but their actions had always been loud and unashamedly clear. Leon brought his hand to her chin, lifted her face upwards to meet his and kissed her passionately. Ada wrapped her arms around his neck as his tightly circled her waist. She threw her body against him till his back was pressed roughly against the table. The sounds of her sighs and his moans seemed to merge against their lips till neither knew where each had originated. For endless seconds she clung to him, her awareness geared relentlessly into that kiss as she made love to him in her mind.

Ada gently pulled away and heard him groan deeply. She beamed playfully up at him and traced his forehead with her finger.

'For the record,' she breathed, 'I missed you too.'

Without a word, Leon smiled broadly, swept her into his arms and carried her up the stairs.

---

_Yeah, I'm a shameless romantic. Reviews and comments welcomed._

_The next chapter should hopefully go up tomorrow._


	4. Chapter 4

**Hope **

_Disclaimer: Capcom own Resident Evil. I'm just playing around with it here for fun._

_Author's note: More thanks and kisses to my reviewers! I've been reading fanfic for years but now I've started to write it for myself I realise how important the feedback is._

**Part Four**

_Hope__ is a __desire__ with an expectation of accomplishment. - _Anonymous

Despite the torrent of wind and rain that beat against his body, Osmund Saddler's purple robe embraced him like an elaborate cocoon. Clouds of exhaust fumes smothered the last distant glint of the sun and rendered the sky a dusky orange.

Smiling ghoulishly he watched as his humble servants carried the woman along the walkway towards him and lowered her to the floor. Her crimson dress was surprisingly pristine considering all the damage she had caused to his compound, as well as to him. The scars on his face had already begun to knit together and heal, yet another indication of his astounding power. A power that she and her accomplices desired but had yet to fully comprehend. He had briefly considered sacrificing this nuisance for the entertainment of his brethren or perhaps feeding her to one of his scientist's starving and rancid creations. But those options left him no satisfaction. He wanted the American agent and the girl, and without them this triumph was simply the consolation prize.

The woman moaned, stirring restlessly and her lips expelled a name that rode on the tail end of a sigh, 'Leon.'

'So, she and the American runt are closer than I imagined,' Saddler chuckled, 'Tie her up. Make sure she's visible.'

As his disciples complied with his orders Saddler relished the damp and rotten air of his island paradise. It smelled like victory.

---

An agent without the gift of observation is like a bird without the gift of wings. Perhaps Ada had her mother to thank for her share of this quality. Being able to sense her mother's current emotional state, as well as the sobriety of her mother's boyfriends, had been a skill she had honed to perfection. It had saved her from bruises then, and it kept her alive till this day. One particular observation, which had always proved true, was that the way a man handled himself in a fight was relative to the way he handled himself during times of peace, and vice versa. Krauser had been egotistical, brutal and had the pride of a dozen military ancestors bred into his bones. And like those poetic stories he had fabricated about his ancestry, his fighting style was powerful, bold but without deep thought, precision or accuracy.

Ada ran her hands over the blinds by the bedroom window and slowly pulled on the cord to expose the view beyond. Warmth from the early evening sun flooded the room and tinted her cheeks with an orange glow. The growing shadows of the trees outside stretched towards the house and the lake was bleached a dusky white by the clouds above. In the fifteen minutes she had been standing there, Ada had seen only two small pickup trucks crawl slowly along the road and perhaps a half a dozen children wandering aimlessly along the edge of the water, kicking up dust and chasing the birds. Casting a glance over her shoulder she saw him stretch indulgently on the bed causing the sheets to gather at his waist. But still he didn't wake up. Ada tilted her head and laced her hands behind her back, denying them their desired journey towards the bed and along his gorgeous body.

_Leon. The way a man handled himself in a fight is relative to the way he handled himself during times of passion._

In Spain she had caught the last few moments of Leon's knife fight with Krauser from the platform above. Though Leon had lost in the end, it had still been the sexiest thing she'd seen in a long time. She'd actually been forced to make a quick exit after Krauser's retreat to avoid tackling the government agent to the floor. Of course she had seen videos of Leon's combat training, but a live performance was something else entirely. Precision, passion, stamina, dexterity and irrepressible audacity. Just thinking about how well those qualities had translated into the bedroom, made Ada's heart thump so hard that she could feel her pulse beating in every cell of her body. She could still feel the sheets knotting under her back, the heat from his body and the taste of his skin. She could hear the alien sound of her own voice crying his name in a way she had always been afraid to, even in her darkest dreams. She could still picture the mischievous grin that he had flashed at her as he'd taken turns in denying and indulging her desires. The guilty pleasure of being able to touch him had drugged her into a flurry of behaviour she hadn't even indulged in during her teens. Those kisses that had driven her into a frenzy still danced across her skin even now, making her blush. And when it was over she had awoken from an exquisite stupor to a shower of gentle kisses across her brow and words that had brought tears to her eyes.

_I love you Ada._

Her only reply had been to press her cheek to his chest and monitor the rhythm of his breathing till she was sure he was fast asleep. Slipping quietly from the bed, she had thrown on one of his shirts and curled up on the chair in the corner of the room. The distance was necessary. It could have been the cooling sweat on her body that had caused her to shiver, but she had known the real reason. She was happy. She was afraid.

Turning back to the window, Ada rubbed her thumb against the cool metal on her left hand and watched as the wedding ring span slowly around her finger and reflected the light.

'Ada?'

Leon's voice was hoarse as he woke and shifted in the bed, his hands hitting only cold sheets in search of her. His hair was ruffled and stuck up in various random directions.

'Hey, can't sleep?' he asked eyeing her thoughtfully.

Smiling ruefully at him, she wondered if it was even possible to sleep within a dream.

'No.'

He returned her smile, his heavy lidded eyes keenly travelling along her body with such open excitement that she could almost imagine the buttons of the shirt slipping through the fabric and unfastening from the power of his will alone.

Ada toyed with the material of the shirt causing it to rise several inches across her naked thighs. He blushed. Even in a dream he was fun to play with.

'So tell me,' her voice was molten honey, 'Was the reality as good as the dreams?'

He grinned, 'The dreams were amazing, but the reality was perfect. Always is.'

But that was where they differed. _Her_ reality was far from perfect; this dream was no prelude of things to come. And that had never saddened her, until now.

Leon held out his hand to her and she hesitated. Lying in his arms, in that bed, it felt too intimate somehow. It felt too real.

Ada slowly circled the bed just out of touching distance, keeping her eyes locked onto his. Her fingers pulled at the buttons of the shirt till the garment came loose and revealed a pale slice of skin along the length of her body. The moment she reached his side of the bed she averted her eyes and turned away. When this inevitably ended, perhaps she'd keep these moments, lock them inside her heart under the growing file of memories labelled 'Leon', and only bring them out again on the darkest of rainy days. Rolling her shoulders and letting the shirt fall to pool at her heels, she strutted confidently to the en-suite bathroom to take a shower.

When she reached the bathroom door, she paused and looked back at him saucily, 'Wash my back, handsome?'

---

Rubbing her bare feet as she reclined on the porch swing, Ada silently observed Mei Li playing in front yard. The young girl was imagining a private adventure a thousand miles from home, but still remained in the safety of her parent's line of sight. She had been driven home less than an hour before, voracious for the attention and love of her family, which had been granted to her and then returned by her in spades. When she had settled down, Leon had left the girl in Ada's care while he had rustled up a simple evening meal. Since their early evening sojourn to the shower, and then back to the bed for another round, Ada had barely spoken more than a few words to either of them, answering Leon's questions with a calm and direct tone, and Mei Li's chatter with a patient smile. Leon had tried to coax her out of her sombre mood, but for both their sakes he had taken a far subtler route than before. But he'd had the same sort of result.

'Mommy, look!'

Ada waved at the little girl and smiled. Mei was pointing to the thick shrubbery that lined the yard and the large, pink butterfly that was flapping around it. The girl bounced towards it and began to chase it across the grass; her fingers outstretched pursuing the elusive and delicate creature.

The view of the lake was certainly a pleasurable sight, the sun was low and a cool balm infused the air with the smell of damp grass giving early birth to dew. The front porch of the house was lined with wooden decking that held the three-seater swing, a table and four chairs. A set of stairs then led to a carpet of green grass, gravel and a fence that separated the yard from the narrow road and the woodlands beyond. Ada had had to change into a red summer dress, since the blouse she had been wearing earlier was now missing several buttons. She could hear the faint sounds of Leon putting the dishes away in kitchen and a deep caress of satisfaction brushed over her. It felt like home. She tucked her knees under her body half expecting the tranquillity to implode around her.

Fear was an irrational emotion and Ada had always known that. Though she had always keenly felt that natural impulse of all living beings to stay alive and avoid danger where possible, she had always embraced fearlessness. It drove her missions, her lifestyle, that impulse to move and never stop. She had had nothing to lose. But the moment she had woken up under Leon's gaze, after that monster Burkin had attacked her, she was submerged in dread and apprehension. It was partly why she had asked him leave without her. He terrified her more than the monsters did, because she knew that if he died trying to save her or if she were forced to kill him to complete her mission then it would matter, it would hurt and she wouldn't be able to shake off that loss like she had shaken off so many others. Ada Wong had never liked to lose.

A sharp cry seized her attention and Ada looked up to see Mei Li on her knees on the gravel path. Her pink palms were now brown from the dirt and silent sobbing wracked her tiny frame.

_Oh hell._

Heart twisting in her chest, Ada jumped up from her seat, ran quickly down the stairs and knelt at the girl's side barely feeling the sharp gravel grazing her feet. Mei had obviously fallen over during her mad dash around the yard. Hot tears dripped off her cheeks and her knee was badly scratched and bruised. Ada's hands flew to Mei's knee to assess the damage. Nothing seemed to be broken, but judging by the girl's whimpers and the amount of blood, it had to hurt.

'Mommy, it hurts.'

'Don't worry. Just stay still okay?' Ada tried to ignore the fact that her own voice was shaking, 'I'm here Little One.'

Ada lifted her into her arms and carried her to the porch swing, lowering her down gently. Calling for Leon, she held Mei Li to her and rocked her slowly on the swing. The girl's hands clutched at Ada's leg as she buried her face in her mother's side.

'Leon!' she called again, more urgently this time.

Leon appeared at the door seconds later, 'What happened?' he asked. But the moment he set eyes on Mei he seemed to understand and compassion replaced confusion in his eyes, 'I'll get the first aid kit.'

Ada heaved Mei Li onto her lap the moment Leon went back inside, and cuddled her to her chest. Mei had stopped crying and was now biting her lip and swallowing her hiccups.

_Oh, we have a proud one here._

Smiling shakily, Ada brushed the dirt from the girl's hands and straightened her dress.

'Had another fall, Peanut?' Leon reappeared with a first aid box in his hands and set about expertly tending to his daughter's cut leg whilst keeping her distracted with meaningless prattle. Ada watched on with concern. Soon the girl had stopped crying altogether and was sitting on the swing with a cool drink in her hand like nothing had happened. In her arms she held that beige teddy bear with the blue ribbon around its neck and her legs dangled off the seat.

'I'm sorry; I should have been keeping an eye on her. I got distracted,' Ada sighed running her fingers roughly through her ebony hair.

Leon laughed, 'She's a kid. Kid's fall over.'

'And that's exactly why I should have been watching,' she retorted urgently.

'Don't beat yourself up about it. She's fine.'

Ada shrugged and reached over to Mei, stroking her hair. Somewhere, between her bright chatter and hyperactivity, this little girl had become almost real. Watching her cry had felt awful.

'Are you alright, Little One?' she asked her.

'Yep,' Mei smiled, her eyes bright but still swollen, 'It didn't hurt too much.'

Ada smirked, 'You're very brave.'

'And it's lucky you didn't lose another tooth,' Leon knelt beside them, 'You'd end up exhausting the tooth fairy.'

Mei Li looked up at Ada with an impish grin remembering their earlier pact. Her lips quivered and she failed to smother her giggles. Ada laughed, gathered the girl onto her lap and pressed her mouth against her hair, inhaling the now familiar scent.

'What'd I say?' Leon frowned in confusion at the pair.

'Secret,' Mei replied brightly, 'Can I go play again?'

'Sure.'

Ada shook her head as she watched the girl slip off her lap and skip back to the yard. She wearily flopped back onto the swing and closed her eyes. Moments later, she felt Leon sit down next to her and heard him sigh deeply, the weight of his body causing the swing to rock in a controlled, lethargic arc.

'Has she ever sat down for more than a few minutes at a time?' Ada asked.

He laughed, 'You should have seen her yesterday, she practically climbing the walls. Though it was my fault. I shouldn't have let her eat ice-cream so close to bedtime.'

She smiled and kept her eyes firmly shut, 'She's got you wrapped around her little finger hasn't she?'

'Yeah, I don't know where she inherited that trait from.'

Ada opened her eyes to find him staring suspiciously at her and she laughed sharply. She lightly smacked his forearm. Her grin soon fell from her face and they stared at each other in a warm and comfortable silence. Leon leaned forward and kissed her gently on the nose, then her cheek and then her mouth. She accepted the kiss with a sigh and reached up to fondle his hair.

'How did you feel?' Ada breathed against his lips, pulling back from his kiss.

'About what?'

'When Mei was born.'

Leon sat up straight and frowned, 'Well you _were_ there…'

'Humour me. I want to hear you say it.'

He paused, turned away for a moment and watched the girl playing contently in the yard, an expression Ada had never seen before playing across his features. A fusion of pride, wonder and love.

'Terrified,' he began quietly, 'When you told me you were pregnant…I was stunned. We both were.'

He looked back at her, 'We barely talked about it, which was insane, especially when you began to put on weight and send me out to buy banana milkshakes in the middle of the night. But we'd only just got engaged and a baby was this big, scary elephant in the room. We didn't know what we were doing.'

Ada nodded, 'I know what you mean.'

'But now, I can't imagine a single day without her. And the birth went pretty well. You only tried to strangle me twice while you were in labour after all,' he grinned, 'Remember how tiny she was?'

_No. I don't. Because this never really happened. And yet I envy you so much._

'She's a beautiful little girl,' Ada replied looking out over the yard. Two ducks from the nearby woods had circumnavigated the road and were wandering around the lawn making loud honking noises. Mei Li was giggling as she tried to feed one of them a clump of dandelions she had ripped from the ground. She seemed to love the attention no matter the source.

'Mei, don't get too close, okay honey?' Leon called after her.

Daintily stretching, Ada sat up and swung her legs onto Leon's lap. He smiled down at her and began to rub her bare legs, his fingers tenderly circling the bumps of her knees.

'Joan and Mike have invited us to play Paintball next weekend. Adults only,' he said.

_Next week?_ Ada doubted that there'd even _be_ a next week in this fantasyland.

'Oh. What did you say?'

'I said "maybe",' Leon smiled, 'Thought I'd ask you first.'

'I…well…'

'Come on. Unless you're afraid I'll outshine you. I am the better shot after all.'

She gave him an incredulous look, 'Well now I have a dilemma. Either I ignore your shameless attempt at reverse psychology, or I agree and get the chance to wipe that grin off your face once and for all.'

'Then I guess we're on,' he replied teasing her with a smirk.

Ada felt warmth fill her body as she watched him and that familiar ache returned to her chest, 'About before…the way I've been since this morning,'

'Listen, you don't have to explain.'

'Yes I do,' she sighed, lifting her feet off his lap. She straightened and gently placed some distance between them. It'd make things easier for her at least.

'I was angry with you,' she didn't look back at him, 'I've felt that way about you, on some level at least, since the day we met. You came waltzing into my life and changed it all. You changed me. And I hated you for showing me how happy I could be, reducing everything I had before to nothing by comparison. It may be natural for you, but for me it's damn near terrifying to find a part of my life…a part of myself that I don't consider expendable and that I couldn't bare to lose.'

Leon shuffled along the swing to sit right by her side, but kept his hands knotted together on his lap, 'Ada, why didn't you tell me all this before?'

'It's easier to run,' she sighed, 'I don't know if I can put you or myself through that. Old habits die hard.'

He was silent for a moment before finally taking her hand in a loose hold and expelling the deep breath he had been holding, 'I knew who you were when I married you, and vice versa. Love doesn't make all this go away. I can't pretend we'll never piss each other off or get scared. In fact, I can promise that it will happen in the future, several times. But I also know that each time it does, I'll travel right along with you till you decide to stop running and come home.'

Gripping his hand in hers till her knuckles shone white, Ada swallowed hard, 'Are you sure? Because I can run pretty fast.'

'I'll keep up,' he whispered.

Ada let out a shaky breath and leaned back, confident that she'd find his body behind hers to support her. And for an instant she was back with him in the police station, the sewers and the laboratory, then the village, the castle and the island. Despite the little time they had spent together, despite the horror (or maybe because of it), every second had counted. For those moments she had come to life, so much so that she had been tempted to run away with that feeling, to grasp at it and hold it close. She knew for sure that she could live without Leon S. Kennedy, but she had never _felt_ truly alive without him.

Perhaps they had stayed that way, in each other's arms, for hours or simply seconds that had seemed to spread almost infinitely due to the constant balmy haze of the setting sun and the soft and steady rumble of his heartbeat under her cheek. But his voice eventually woke her from her half-slumber.

'Looks like I have another rescue mission,' Leon murmured against her hair.

'Hmm?' she opened her eyes to see that Mei Li was now surrounded by at least a dozen ducks that had sauntered up from the lake.

Leon slipped out from under her and jogged down to the yard to shoo them away.

'Your girl's quite the social butterfly isn't she?' a voice whispered.

Ada turned and met the gaze of the old woman who had appeared once more. This time she was seated on one of the porch chairs, 'You're back again?'

'Just checking up on you.'

'Touching,' she replied, her eyes wandering to the yard. She caught sight of Leon lifting Mei up above his head whilst the little girl shrieked with delight. She sighed and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist, suddenly feeling a chill and the tingling sensation of moisture tickle her skin.

The old woman was now clad in a long, dark orange dress that brushed her ankles even though she was sitting down. Her expression was composed as always, but her eyes were dark and sombre.

'I'm glad you decided to stay,' the woman muttered softly.

Ada nodded once, 'So am I. You weren't…watching us were you? Before I mean.'

The woman laughed, her thin lips stretching into a smile, 'No. I thought you'd need the privacy.'

'Well thanks,' she softened her sarcasm with a weary smile.

A mild breeze picked up around them causing Ada's hair to ruffle. The branches of the nearby trees bowed under the force of the wind and were cloaked in shadow, as the sun lay down to sleep nestled in a bed of cloud.

'I know why I was brought here,' Ada tucked a wayward lock of hair behind her ear.

The old woman was silent, regarding her with a look of amusement.

'But this makes no real difference,' she continued, 'This world, this life. It's not possible. I can't let it distract me. I have too much at stake, my freedom, my life.'

Shifting in her seat, the woman shook her head, 'Are you saying that love just makes people weak? It once gave you the strength to make the ultimate sacrifice. And it's feeding you now, helping you. All this was to show you that the future is not yet written. The lake, the house, the girl. They're all possibilities. Possibilities that your heart holds onto no matter what you've been through and are still set to go through. Whether your future is to be alone, or with this man, or with another, that choice will be yours alone. I just don't want you running away from that choice. You're at the eve of a great battle now Ada. Ever since that young man took a bullet for you six years ago you've been searching for the side of yourself that he thought was worthy of saving.'

Ada gave a short and bitter laugh, 'Please. Leon would save almost anyone. What if this woman…this side of me doesn't really exist? What if she doesn't deserve him after everything she's done?'

'Love isn't something you earn, Ada. It just is what it is.'

The old woman leaned over, her dress creasing into amber waves. She pressed a cool, hard hand to Ada's cheek, 'You just need to have faith in what you're capable of. You're Ada Wong after all. And Ada Wong always walks away with the prize, whatever that prize turns out to be.'

'Ada, come on!'

The sound of Leon's voice caught her ear and she looked down at the yard to find him waving at her, holding Mei in his arms. The girl was grinning up at her and her arms were slung tightly around her father's shoulders. He was mouthing something to her but she couldn't hear, the growing evening breeze was slowly suffocating the sound of his plea. Ada gazed longingly at the sight and stood to follow them down the porch steps. But the old woman's voice made her pause mid-step.

'It's time to go Ada,' the old woman whispered softly.

Ada turned to her sharply, her eyes wide, 'Now? But I…'

Before she could finish, a great chill drenched her body, the sound of a rushing gale filled the yard and her head began to swim, light ebbing away in her consciousness. She closed her eyes against the onslaught and grabbed the side of her head in an effort to steady her spinning vision. She could have sworn she had heard Leon calling her name again, but this time the sound was bursting deep in the recesses of her mind. Her muscles began to stretch and throb under an invisible strain. Screaming was impossible, only her sharp breaths could answer the overlapping wails echoing in her ears. And suddenly she was falling and her knees collided with the deck. The floor dissolved beneath her and swallowed her whole.

---

Thanks for reading. I'll post the fifth and final part tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hope **

_Disclaimer: Leon and Ada aren't mine, but I sure had fun borrowing them for a while!_

_Author's note: Firstly I'd like to give a big thank you to my reviewers- every review has put a smile on my face. I'm a very sad that this is the last chapter but I WILL be writing for Leon and Ada again soon if all goes well. I have my exams in June so I'll be very busy till then but I'm part way through another medium-length fic right now so fingers crossed. Last but not least a giant hug for Squall, my beta reader and because it can't be said enough: **Leon and Ada Forever!**_

**Part Five**

_And I find  
There is __**light**__  
There is __**hope**__  
There is a __**glow**_

- At the End, by **16 Volt**

The crash mat that broke her fall gave a startlingly rough embrace as her body collided against it. Her vision unfolded and pulled itself into a harsh and blinding focus and it was mere moments till she realised that she was back on the island. Distant sounds of clanging meal and the rough spitting of electrical wires merged with the rushing of waves and the shrieks of seagulls were noticeably absent from the dead rock this base had become. It smelt liked salt, blood, gunpowder and filth. Lifting herself into sitting position, she noticed the rope looped around her waist. She tugged them free from her wrists and torso before flexing her hands in a slow circle.

_Welcome back to reality Ada. Saddler certainly has an interesting taste in games._

A maze of rusting towers arced high around her, penetrating the thick, grey sky. It was raining tiny shards of ice now and the air was like a blade slicing into her lungs. Her limbs tingled as blood flooded back into her veins.

'Ada!'

Her head snapped upwards at the sound of her name. It was Leon, dressed in that dark grey outfit, and armed to the teeth, his hair sweeping over his temple. He had survived the surgery to remove the parasite. She looked above her and saw the remnants of a harness flapping in the gale. He must have cut her free.

'You okay?' he asked, anxiety and anger pouring from his stare. Several lines of worry were etched onto his face and his body was taut with nervous energy. Their eyes met for a moment, connecting in the gloom of dawn, and she saw his shoulders relax. She felt a deep and intense urge to wrap her arms around him.

_Time to wake up Ada! That lake doesn't exist anymore. It has been an industrial site for the past five years; some faceless company bulldozed those pretty little houses, remember? There are no happy endings. It was just a dream. Forget and focus._

Ada smiled grimly, 'I've been better.'

Ignoring the dull throb of her limbs, Ada was about to stand when she heard a deep, throaty laugh. Osmund Saddler stood several meters away, a pillar of purple with a snide and decadent smile. The staff in his hand flapped its tiny tentacles as if reacting to the sound of their voices. Bile rose in the back of Ada's mouth and a torrent of adrenaline swept away the physical agony, leaving fury in its wake. She wanted to slash that bastard's throat.

Leon must have been feeling the same way, as she detected the slightest quiver in his usually calm voice, 'What's so funny?'

'Oh, I think you know,' Saddler purred, 'The American prevailing is a cliché that only happens in your Hollywood movies. Mr. Kennedy, you entertain me. To show my appreciation, I will help you awaken from your world of clichés.'

His jaw unhinged like a snake about to swallow its prey. Through his yawning mouth Ada saw his glowing third eye swell and roll through his throat, squeezing past his sharp and jagged teeth. His head shuddered on his neck under the strain and his skin split, discharging rivers of golden slime along his face.

'Ada,' Leon called to her, 'Stand back.'

Without hesitation, Ada slid from the mat and charged out of the arena. She trusted him, but she wouldn't let him have all the fun. Perhaps he knew that. Perhaps he trusted her too.

_Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps._

Once she had reached a safe distance Ada span on her heel and turned back, her dress fluttering in the breeze. Saddler's body had burst, his flesh tearing as four giant legs slammed onto the floor. Yellow, putrid gunk splashed against the metal walkway as his body, the last vestiges of his human form, dangled like a discarded shell. His third eye was welded to a branching feeler with pincers that stretched several feet up into the heavens. He gave an unholy howl that was magnified by the wind and soared through the compound. The flood lamps overhead shone several macabre spotlights that were almost vulgar in their illumination of the creature. Ada let slip a furtive smile as she reached for her gun holster. It looked like Saddler had been too arrogant to disarm her. Tightening her grip on the weapon, she felt its familiar weight against her palm.

_The bigger they are…_

Her heels pounded the floor as she dashed to the nearest tower. Arming and discharging her grapple gun, she sliced through the air to land atop it with an elegant forward spin. Palms hitting the railing she stared pensively down at the battle raging beyond her. Leon, gun raised confidently, darted away from the slashing limb Saddler spun at his head. He was taking his time to line up each shot, making every bullet count. She realised, that like her, he was low on ammo. The two of them, as they were, were not enough to beat this creature. Ada scanned the horizon for anything that could help. Her eyes frantically jumped from tower to tower before settling greedily on a rocket launcher, which nested comfortably at the opposite end of the compound. This was one of her luckier days it seemed. She knew she couldn't afford to spare another glance to assess Leon's status with Saddler. She had to be content with the sound of his gunfire for reassurance that he was still alive.

The force of her grapple gun reverberated through her left arm and she once again airborne. Ada tucked her legs under her body as she landed on the distant platform. Her dress slapped against her bare and freezing legs as she flew along the interlocking maze of metal walkways. Smoke from various industrial apparatus curled around the towers, coating them in a peppery and thickly acidic fog. Turning a corner, she slid to a halt at the site of one of those plaga-infested animals swinging a mace and carrying a thick, wooden shield. Barely pausing for breath, she raised her weapon and fired. Splinters erupted around them and Ada was gone before his limp body had even kissed the floor. She jumped down to a lower level and continued barely aware of the sweat and dirt that caked her body or the painful pulsing of her ankles with each pounding footfall. Another thug screamed towards her, his hands outstretched. His body was covered in a tattered uniform that flaked off this grey skin as if renouncing its pathetic parody of normality and dignity. Ada ran down the slope using its height as an advantage and brutally kicked her foe, his body shattering the railing behind him and tumbling off the ledge.

_Come on, you're taking too long._

Throwing herself at towards the edge of the platform, Ada dragged her shaking legs up a ladder that was liberally bronzed with rust. More platforms, more ledges, more time between the gunshots in the battle beneath her. She grappled her way to another ledge, which looked worryingly similar to the one she had just left. Worse still, it seemed to be a dead-end. Ada huffed in frustration and turned back only come face to face with a metal staff and a roaring Ganado. She ducked to the floor missing the attack, but felt her gun slip from her fingers and saw it slide along the walkway. The stocky creature, with eyes glinting dully over a red bandana, raised its weapon once again and let it fall towards her.

_Damn it!_

Ada span away, only vaguely aware of the sound of the mace striking the floor behind her, when her eyes met a sight several yards away. It was the rocket launcher. She snatched her handgun from the floor and rolled over to face Saddler's thug. Her bare back felt the icy sting of the metal platform as she fired the last of her bullets at the creature. Its body shuddered at each impact, tottering on its legs, and tainted blood ran down in rivets. But he didn't die. He recovered and blindly launched himself at her again. A malicious and satisfied smile spread across Ada's face as she aimed her grapple gun behind her and fired. She waited until her enemy was barely a meter away before flicking the second catch. The grapple recoiled its cable and dragged her body away from his clawing fingers. Seconds later the crimson dart had met her target.

'Here. Use this!' Ada heaved the rocket launcher over the railing and heard it slam onto the floor below. Déjà vu all over again.

Leon ran to the launcher and hoisted it onto his shoulder with practised ease. Then he fired, sending the missile to pierce Saddler's eye. His final death knell was a shriek that was swallowed by the resulting explosion of gunpowder meeting flesh. Ada raised her arm to shield the glare from her eyes.

What remained of Saddler, as far as she could tell once she had found her way back to ground level, was a blackened and brittle husk. Putrid, black smoke swelled in waves from the pile of burning flesh and torn robes and the stench of oil and sulphur seared the back of Ada's throat making her gag. The floor beneath it was scarred and torn. The hole formed a deep, dark depression that overflowed with the yellow pus that had fed him so heartily in life and now drowned him in death. It was a fitting final bed.

Leon was already crouched beside the vial by the time she arrived at ground zero. Rolling the glass cylinder through his fingers with intense fascination, he didn't hear her sharp footsteps as she approached and reacted only to the soft click of her handgun. His body seemed to harden at the sound as if suddenly coated in cold steel.

'Sorry Leon,' Ada purred, 'Hand it over.'

Leon slowly rose and turned to face her, a look of disbelief and perhaps mild resentment glowed through the pale curtain of his hair. And then it changed to acceptance. So resigned was he to her betrayal. Images flickered in the corner of her eye; naked desire, affection, concern, joy. A body curled around another, a strong pair of hands, a whispered promise. Every expression she had seen play across his face during that dream was dancing behind her eyelids now, taunting her till she could hardly remember which existence was real and which was merely a twisted, painful delusion.

_I am truly sorry Leon. But you know why I'm here. You're not a kid anymore and neither am I. _

Despite the tender sting of regret and longing that sharply pierced her chest, Ada smoothed her face into a smile of benign indifference as she slid the vial from his hand into her own. Her gun, hollow and empty, was still levelled at his head as she gazed at him, a steady and fixed stare. She was too proud to be the one that blinked first.

'Ada, you do know what this is?' Leon asked hesitantly.

_Yes. This is goodbye. For now._

She gave a melodic hum and gripped her plunder tightly in her hand.

The silence was ruptured by the rising thunder of the evacuation chopper's motor. Leon span around trying to locate the origin of the sound and when he looked back Ada was already halfway across the platform. She balled her fists and thrust her arms, propelling herself over the railings and into a delirious freefall. As the air welcomed her body, a sudden exhilaration flooded her mind for a fraction of a second and she was sunk into the abyss between asleep and awake, between dreams and reality, where everything was a hell of a lot simpler.

Grabbing the edge of the open hatch, Ada climbed inside and dropped gracefully onto the prickly canvas seat, feeling its metal edge rub the back of her knees. The pilot nodded distantly at her and turned back to his vigil over helicopter's console. She reached behind her and grabbed the key as the copter slowly rose. It would activate the Jet Ski she had placed near the aqueduct just a few yards from here. Leon would know where it was; she knew that for sure. Ada glanced down at the novelty key ring and before she could stop herself she pictured this cream coloured bear with blue ribbons, not dangling from a set of keys, but wrapped in the arms of a child. Her child.

_It wasn't real. Why can't you let it go?_

Shaking the image free from her head, she crossed her supple legs and leaned over as the chopper rose high above the harbour's platform.

Leon stood at the edge, still gaping at her flamboyant escape.

'Don't worry,' she waved the vial at him playfully, her voice laced with sugar, 'I'll take good care of it.'

He called up to her but his words were sliced in half by the racket of the copter's blades.

Ada felt the body of the aircraft buck beneath her, 'Gotta go. If I were you, I'd get off this island.'

Flicking open her PDA, she activated the detonation sequence. She had an unwavering belief that he'd be able to survive and escape. It's what they both did best after all. Still, she upped the timer on the device from two minutes thirty to a round three.

'Here. Catch!' Ada flung the keys at him and saw him snatch them smoothly out of the air.

As the chopper began to turn away she waved at him and smiled inwardly at his confusion, 'Better get a move on. See you around.'

The black shadow of the helicopter skimmed the surface of the silver water as it flew away. Ignoring the fluttering of her dress as it whipped around her knees, Ada pressed a vial into the snug holding case and closed it with a firm snap. It wasn't the vial Wesker was expecting of course. Saddler's sample was better served elsewhere. The lights at each corner of the case glowed amber for an instant before fading to grey, accepting its phoney cargo. Exhaustion came off her in waves as a full day of pressure evaporated from her body. Her eyelids lowered, swathing her vision with darkness, and her shoulders rose and fell in a deep sigh. With skilled proficiency her mind was already anticipating her next move, blocking the pain of her wounds and the sticky feeling of blood, which was not her own, that smeared her pale skin. The full force of her mission stretched almost endlessly beyond her. But this time it was different. Unfathomably different. She could see the murky emptiness, which usually enveloped her thoughts, withering and fading behind her eyelids. She felt stronger than before, lighter, as if a fog had dissipated from around her soul.

Light suddenly flooded the small compartment. The radiant fingers of dawn stretched out from behind a blanket of grey cloud and caressed her face with warmth. She squeezed her eyes shut against the glow and heard the distant laughter of her daughter echoing in her head, she felt the girl's soft skin against her own and deeply inhaled the essence of sunshine. And more than that, she could still taste _him_. Ada trembled in surprise against the onslaught of each feverish sensation and memory. If you fell asleep and had a dream about the one you loved, but you could still feel him when you awoke, what then? What had it done to her? Was it the idea of him that haunted her, or the man himself? Perhaps she was besotted with both, as each resonated in her consciousness, as real as the other, intertwined and inseparable. Both of them had saved her, had strengthened her and she'd need them for the battle that was just beginning.

Opening her eyes, Ada squinted at the blinding horizon and found that somehow she could finally embrace what Leon had given her. Hope. The strange and troubling and intoxicating hope that _someday_ the final vial will open the final door, which would become her exit, her parting gift, her future. Whatever that future may be. And try as she might, she couldn't shake the feeling that that future would involve him. As the chopper sped through the horizon a small smile curled on Ada's face and she realised that 'someday' now seemed just a little closer.

**The End**


End file.
